


The Necklace of Amara

by Calysta Rose (Calysta)



Category: Veritas: The Quest
Genre: Adventure, M/M, Post-Series, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-11
Updated: 2015-07-11
Packaged: 2018-04-08 19:22:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4316757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calysta/pseuds/Calysta%20Rose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Time is fleeting, even when it stands still.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Necklace of Amara

**Author's Note:**

  * For [delibby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/delibby/gifts).



> As a bday present to my bff De, I give you a short little pre-slash/mostly case fic. I used [this writing prompt](http://awesomewritingprompts.tumblr.com/post/106915681817/writing-prompt-649-do-as-i-say) as a starter. Not beta read. Additional inspiration: [here](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TimeStandsStill) & [here](http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/1422-amorites).

"Ten! Nine! Eight!" The voices of the crowd washed over Nikko and Calvin as they stood in the middle of Times Square. "Seven! Six!"

Nikko leaned forward, trying to catch Cal's hastily spoken words while simultaneously trying to keep an eye out for the Dorna agents they had been following.

"If this goes off it'll be..." Cal trailed off, at a loss for words.

Nikko nodded and scanned the crowd again but there were too many people with too much party crap. Their only hope was Maggie & Juliet. If they could hack the traffic & security cams there was a chance they'd be able to find Dorna.

"Three! Two! One!" Voices raised in celebration and then...nothing.

Not one sound. As if the whole city was put on pause. And in fact... Nikko looked around at the formerly writhing, cheering crowds. They were entirely still. It was fucking creepy.

"Um..." Nikko began.

"What the fuck?!" Calvin found some words.

Nikko shook his head, confused as well.

"Must've been whatever artifact Dorna was messing with." Calvin finally said, though it sounded almost like a question.

"I guess. We should maybe get out of here?" Now it was Nikko's turn to ask.

"Yeah, get back to HQ and see if they know anything." Calvin said, voice quiet. "See how far the effect extends."

Nikko nodded and they began to wend their way through the silent, still crowds. They could move people slightly, but still had to squeeze past the tighter clusters of party-goers.

They finally made it out of the main crowd and it became easier to avoid frozen people. Ten blocks from Times Square and still everyone around them was frozen. And not just people. Dogs, cats, pigeons were all frozen in place. Birds hanging in mid-air was deeply disturbing, Nikko felt.

They barely spoke the whole way back to Veritas. Every sound they made echoed weirdly through the silent city and talking felt wrong. Nowhere along the way did they find anyone or any sign of anyone that wasn't stopped in mid-action. Lights didn't flicker, traffic lights didn't change; even the air was still.

The front door to the Veritas building was the first one they attempted to open. At first it didn't move, didn't even budge and a thrill of fear rushed through Nikko. He hadn't even considered this, that even the doors would be frozen.

Calvin's hand settled onto Nikko's. "Together," he said, catching Nikko's eyes with his. And together did it. Slowly, incredibly silently, the door opened under their combined effort. Nikko wasn't sure he'd ever had to push so hard before.

Inside, the silence and stillness persisted. Lights were on, as expected, but no sounds of anyone moving around. Nikko called out then, for his dad, for Vincent. But no one answered.

They made their way quickly up the stairs, not even bothering to try the elevator. Once in the main offices they were faced with the fantastically uncomfortable sight of the rest of the team huddled, motionless, around the computers.

No help there.

"Huh." Calvin finally said. "Well then."

A sharp, short laugh burst out of Nikko. "Yeah, so that's fucked."

Calvin turned toward Nikko, smiling. Nikko returned the grin with a roll of his eyes.

They had work to do, and Nikko felt certain that between the two of them they'd be able to manage it. They always had before. And if..no, when, they fixed the world and stopped Dorna again, Nikko was going to stop waiting for 'the right time' and just go after Calvin with all he had in him. Life was too damn weird to put off the things and people who mattered.


End file.
